| Lochalsh & Skye
Housing Association AGM |
You are invited to join us
at our Annual General Meeting, which will be held in the
Cuillin Hills Hotel, Portree, on Monday 9th June 2008 at
7 pm.
A light buffet and refreshments will be served at the end of the Meeting.
|
| Pat
Gordon Good Neighbour Award |
The
winner of the Pat Gordon Good Neighbour Award this year is Chrissie
MacInnes of Toravaig
Court in Teangue.
Chrissie was nominated by her neighbour Colin Threlfall (who
won the award last year). Chrissie was awarded the prize of £150
of Marks & Spencers vouchers for all the good turns she
does for various neighbours. She is looking forward to her
shopping trip to Inverness.
A Joint
2nd prize of £50 was shared by Diane Nicolson and Rachel
Beaton of Ascrib Place, Portree. Diane and Rachel
organised the first Street Party in Ascrib Place when neighbours,
friends and family were
invited to the street for food and drink, and live music. There
is a real community spirit in the street. Diane and
Rachel look after each other’s children, enabling them
both to work.
Diane was awarded £25 vouchers for the Co-operative,
and is going to purchase items for her garden. Rachel
was awarded £25
B&Q vouchers and is going to put this towards new flooring
for her daughter’s bedroom.
|
| Retirement
of Committee Member - and arrival of new Committee Member |
Billy Ross, who has been a
member of the Management Committee for 12 years, announced
his retirement at the end of March 2008. The Association
would like to thank Billy for the valuable contribution that
he made during his years of service. We wish him all the
best for the future.
Mr
William Brown,
a tenant of the Association, has agreed to become a Committee
Member. Mr Brown, who is originally from
Clydebank, is a social worker working with families affected
by disability, We look forward to his input to the
Committee.
|
| Low
Cost Initiative for First Time Buyers (LIFT) |
Would
you like to purchase a property on the open market but think
you cannot afford to? The Scottish Government
under a range of incentives are funding a pilot scheme
called LIFT (Low-cost Initiative for First-Time
Buyers). Please click
here to see the LIFT leaflet.
Please contact Albyn Enterprises on 01349
855991 if you have any queries.
|
| Skye & Lochalsh
Young Carers Project |
The Skye & Lochalsh Young
Carers Project website has very recently been launched. Please
visit their website. www.skyeyoungcarers.co.uk.
|
| Skye
& Lochalsh Association for Disability |
Wider
Role Grant Funding of £13,000 was awarded to Skye
& Lochalsh Association for Disability to help upgrade the kitchen and
provide tables and chairs for a small cafe in The Old School,
Kyleakin. This grant was achieved through working with the
Development Services department of Lochalsh
& Skye Housing Association.
|
| Digital
Switchover |
Starting
in 2008 and ending in 2012, TV services in the UK will go completely
digital, TV region by TV region. This process is called digital
switchover. The UK’s old television broadcast signal - known
as analogue - is being switched off and replaced with a digital
signal. Any TV set that is not converted to digital when the
switchover takes place will no longer receive TV programmes.
If you would
like more information, please
click here to go
to the Digital TV FAQs website.
|
| Rag
Tag 'n' Textile Collective |
A Skye social enterprise developed from a local
craft group is set to offer employment opportunities for people
with mental health issues and disabilities.
The Rag Tag 'n' Textile Collective is being part-funded by
over £17,000 from Communities Scotland's Wider Role
programme, which encourages housing associations to develop
projects that help make life better for local communities.
As well as providing employment opportunities, the project
aims to divert waste textiles from landfill by re-using them
to create products for the fashion industry and soft furnishings.
It also provides training in traditional handcrafts such as
sewing, knitting, crochet, weaving and rag rug making.
The money will help Lochalsh
and Skye Housing Association support the employment of a business manager and a part-time
assistant for the collective as well as finance the general
running costs of the business.
David
Nicol, Communities Scotland's area director for the Highlands and Islands, said: "This
project tackles an important support need for people on Skye
and Lochalsh. The
collective's ambitious plans will bring support to help vulnerable
people living on the island into training and work.
"Communities
Scotland's funding through the Wider Role programme will
help it kick-start these efforts as well as
develop its business and become financially sustainable in
the long term."
Lachie
MacDonald,
director of Lochalsh and Skye, added: "Lochalsh
and Skye is delighted that Communities Scotland is funding
collective through a Wider Role award. This funding will help
towards creating jobs, training people in hand craft skills,
reducing waste and lowering the stigma associated with mental
health issues."
Please
click here to go to the Rag Tag 'n' Textile website.
|
| New
Management Committee Members required |
The
Association is urgently seeking new Management Committee Members.
To download an application pack and read more information, please
click here to go to Management Committee page on the website.
|
| The
Calman Trust Information Exchange Project |
| The
Calman Trust in Inverness have an Information Exchange project
which aims to involve young people in sharing advice and information
about leaving home, transition etc. The idea behind this is
to address some of the ‘leaving home’ issues that
might ultimately lead to homelessness (the focus of the project
is not on homelessness, but is more about the things that every
young person will need to consider as they leave home).
A website which aims to provide information and advice on
all sorts of youth issues has recently been launched. You can
access it at www.leavinghomeinthehighlands.org. The website
is not fully completed yet, but still offers some very useful
information.
In addition,
there is a forum on the site http://www.leavinghomeinthehighlands.org/forum/category-view.asp,
where young people can discuss a variety of subjects online.
|
| Highland
Housing Register |
The
Association, in partnership with Highland Housing Associations
and The Highland Council, are working towards a common Allocations
Policy and Application Form.
For more information, please
click here to go to The Highland
Council's website.
|
| Property
Survey |
The
Association is required by the Scottish Quality Housing Standards
to carry out surveys on all of our properties in order to ensure
compliance with current standards. The Association hopes to
complete these surveys over the next six months.
The survey looks at room sizes, electrical fittings, heating systems, window
and door fittings. A change in Building Regulations has meant that part
of the survey involves measuring and assessing possible future works required
to be carried out to the properties in order to meet the new regulations. |
| Energy
Saving Tips |
There
are lots of simple things you can do right now to reduce
carbon emissions and help prevent climate change. You will
also see a difference in your pocket, as the average household
can save over £100 per year by carrying out some small
changes.
Please click
here for more information.
|
| Any
Suggestions? |
| If
anyone has any ideas, suggestions or comments, please send
them to our mailbox at info@lsha.co.uk or phone them in to
us on 01478 612035. You might like to suggest articles for
the Association's next newsletter, or share useful information
with other tenants. |